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DEI is not about protecting minority rights. It's about protecting all of us from fascism. [1]

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Date: 2025-06-04

DEI - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. How could three words that are pretty much the seminal concepts of liberal democracy be so controversial? Precisely because they are just that... seminal concepts of liberal democracy.

In a liberal democracy, the composition of government, institutions and entities that shape our world such as corporations and universities, should over time reflect the composition of our population. Why? Unless you believe certain groups are inherently inferior to others, you have to recognize objective recruitment will result in diverse staff at those agencies, institutions and entities. That diversity would mean nothing unless input from all staff is treated equitably, a precept of liberal democracy, which presupposes all qualified individuals are included in relevant policy and decision-making regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, sexual orientation, etc.

It turns out liberal democracy is the antithesis of fascism, which means diversity, equity and inclusion are similarly antitheses. It also turns out liberal democracy, along with those three words, is the antithesis of ethno-nationalism. In fact, I would argue ethno-nationalism is the anti-thesis of patriotism in a liberal democracy.

Fascists understand this, as do ethno-nationalists. Both understand that their respective projects only succeed when an ethno-nationalist narrative persuades enough people that their way of life is under threat from others not like them, and only fascist rule can protect them from such. DEI directly counters that narrative.

I do not think this deep structure dynamic is why DEI was promoted in the first place. Liberals have always been more comfortable speaking in terms of minority rights than fascism or class warfare, and progressives have always been more comfortable speaking in terms of class warfare than understanding, OK here's my nod to pointy head academic jargon, the intersectionality of minority rights and class warfare. A substantial number of progressives still can't accept succesful use of racialism by the right destroyed the New Deal coalition by convincing white blue collar workers to abandon the Democratic Party, not abandonment of the working class by the Democratic Party.

Interestingly enough, IMHO minority groups by and large have been complacent with this framing, depicting DEI as a struggle against the, more jargon... euro-centric white male patriarchy. Oh, I missed a word, neo-liberal euro-centric white male patriarchy. I have no thoughts on why that is. It just is what it is.

At anyrate, to the LBGTQ community, African Americans, Latinos including LatinX, etc, I say this...

Newsflash: DEI ain't about you.

To those who don't fall into those categories, i.e., 'white' people, I say this...

Newsflash: DEI ain't about them.

DEI is about all of us.

How do you transform ICE, the FBI, and the entire alphabet soup of Federal Agencies, including the military into arms of fascism? Purge them of people who reject ethno-nationalist narratives. How do you prevent that alphabet soup from becoming arms of fascism? Three words...

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion.

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[1] Url: https://dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/4/2326017/-DEI-is-not-about-protecting-minorities-rights-It-s-about-protecting-all-of-us-from-fascism?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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